Animal-poke



4(No Model.) K

' J. S. DICKEY.

ANIMAL POKE.

No. 552.898. I Patentd Jan. 14,1896.

AN DRBI B GRAHAM, PMUTG'LHHQWASHI NGTON. DE

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN S. DICKEY, OF CLAUDE, TEXAS.

ANIMAL-POKE.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,898, dated January 14, 1896, Application filed August 31, 1894:. Serial No. 521,848. (No model.)

lTo @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JOHN S. DICKEY, a citi- Ien of the United States, residing at Claude, in the county of Armstrong and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Animal-Poke, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in those animal-pokes which are adapted to be placedover the animals neck and provided with spurs, whereby the animal is priclced when he attempts to pass a fence or other barrier; and the object of the invention is to produce an appliance of this class and one which can be worn with greater ease and less liability of pricking the animal while simply grazing. This object I attain by certain improvements on the construction and arrangement of parts, all of which will be more fully described in detail and iinally embodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents aview of a cow having my improvements applied; Fig. :2, an enlarged perspective of the arrangement detached; Fig. 3, a detail View showing the means for joining the two sections g Fig. 4, a similar view of the upper spur.

The arrangement is formed approximately of two sections l. and 2, both of which are formed of stout steel wire bent into the required shape. The section oryoke l is formed of an integral piece of wire bent first at its middle or the point 3, so that its sections will entend parallel with each other, and from the point 3 the wires are bent rearwardly to form the L-shaped hook or arm 4, and thence downwardly at right angles to the rst bend. After extendin g downwardly fora distance equal to about twice the length of the `arm et the seetions of wire are spread apart to form the yoke 5.

The lower end of the yolce or the ends ot the wire composing section l are curved toward each other and terminate a slight distance apart, where they are each bent outwardly and thence upwardly at 6, and finally rearwardly and horizontally, terminating in the spurs 7 and forming at the bends 6 substantially two eyes, one for each end o'j the wire. 8 indicates a third spur, which is arranged at the upper end of the yoke 5 and formed of a piece ci steel wire bent to form the downwardly-extending point 9, while the remaining part of the wire is wrapped around the two sections of the wire l to form asleeve, whereby the spur is rigidly secured in place and the sections or sides are held against separation. The section or loop 2 is substantially triangular, and is also formed of an integral piece of wire shaped to form the horizontal upper bar l0, which extends across from the lower ends of wires l and is bent rearwardly, so as to extend through the eyes 6, and from here they extend downwardly and toward each other and meet at a point a little more than midway the length of the section. After the wires of section 2 meet they are bent forwardly at right angles to the main portion and to form the L-shaped hook or arm ll. Secured to the wires of section 2 at the point where they meet is the fastening device l2, l

which consists of a strip of wire bent around the two sections, so as to hold them removably in place.

The sections l and 2 are joined to each other by releasing the fastening device 12, thus making it possible to spread the arms of section 2 and pass them through the eyes (i, after which the arms are fastened again by the device 12. To secure the instrument on the animals neck, as shown in Fig. l, the section 2 is removed and the lower end of the wires composing the section 1 passed over the animals neck. The section 2 is now placed in position and its wires secured, as explained.

It is essential, of course, that the spurs and 8 be located to the rear of the poke, when it is in place, so as to be in position to engage the animals shoulders.

An animal supplied with this device will not be able to pass any fence or other obstruction, since, if he attempts to pass over it, the arm 1l will engage the fence and draw the lower end of section l rearwardly, causing spurs 7 to pierce the animals shoulders and prompting him to retract his movements. On the other hand, if he attempts to pass under a wire arm f-i will engage therewith and cause spur 8 to pierce the shoulders or neck of the animahwitli the same results that attended the operation of spurs 7. Owing to the arrangement of section 2 on its companion, said section will be free to swing rearwardly and thus allow the animal having the device applied ICG free movements when grazing or lying down; but by no means can heavoid its positive engagement with the fence in event of his attempting to pass it.

By reference to the drawings it n ill be seen that the section 2 is so mounted on the companion section that it will be free to swing rearwardly, but be incapable of swinging for-y wardly, since the bar lO will, upon such a movement, engage the wires of section l at the point directly adjacent to the bend which forms eye G, thereby preventing` the bar from moving farther to the rear, and as this operation is essential to the forward movement of the main part of the section such forward movementis suppressed. f It will be understood that any suitable fastening device may be used in place of thc wire l2, all that is essential being that the device beef a removable character, so as to permit its removal and a consequent spreading of the wires of section 2.

Ilaving described my claim is,-

1. An animal poke comprisinga yoke to sit astraddle of the animals neck, and having the invention, what l ,lowervr ends ofr its side members normally separated and bent to form eyes and rearwardly-y extending spurs, an d a substantially triangular loopsupported inthe eyesformed at the lower ends of the yoke members and connect-r ing the latter, the upper cross bar being deflected forwardly so as yto lie in a plane different from the plane of the loop and adapted to engage with the lower ends of the yoke mem- `minating in eyes and -rearwardly-extending spurs, a binding wire wrapped about the said side members immediately above the yoke proper and terminating in a rearwardly-extending spur, anda substantially triangular loop supported in the eyes at the lower ends of the yoke members and connecting the latter, the horizontal bar of the loop lying in a plane forward of a plane passing` through the loop and constructed to engage with the yoke members and limit they movement ofthe loop f in one direction, the side members of the loop f coming together at their lower ends, whichare secured together and bent forwardly to provide a hook, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own IV have hereto affixed my signature in the presencer of two witnesses.

JOHN S. DICKEY. lVitnesscs B. G. SWEET, f H. F. JoNns. 

